PAULLAGUETTEHeight 63. 0 ”Length
165.^2 ”Width 70. (^9) ”
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
VOLVO
XC 60
SUBARU
ASCENT
NISSAN
KICKS
MAZDA 3
UPDATE
RAM
1500 LARAMIE
UPDATE
JEEP
WRANGLER
VOLVO S 60
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA
HONDA
BMW X 2 BMW^ X^3 INSIGHT
HYUNDAI
KONA
APRIL 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 77
“Some early impressions: The Mazda3
does a good job keeping my head up
and ears open.” Erick Ayapana
Service life:
2 mo/3,5 75 mi • Avg Fuel Econ: 28. 0 mpg
Avg CO 2 0.69 lb/mi Energy cons 120 kW-hr/100 mi
Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $0
Normal-wear cost $0 Base price $24,520 As tested $28,420
EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ 25/35/29 mpg
2020 Mazda 3
Civic’s and Corolla’s premium
audio offerings to shame
and isn’t far off from more
expensive setups, like the
Bowers & Wilkins systems used
in Volvos. The Mazda’s audio
magic consists of 12 speakers.
Most notable are the bass
speakers housed within the
front footwells, just under
the A-pillar. The location
is considered the corner of
the cabin, which is ideal for
low-frequency amplification
(and frees up storage on the
door where these speakers
are typically located). There’s
also a subwoofer housed
within the spare tire in the
trunk. Tweeters in the A-pillar
and midrange speakers on the
doors point directly toward
passengers. The result is clear
and powerful sound that’s
satisfying to the ears. The
audio system also supports
high-definition lossless audio
files, including FLAC.
Audio controls are learn-
able, and the menus are
mostly intuitive, but it’s not
perfect. I’ll save those details
for another update when I get
more familiar with the system.
I
’ve come to appreciate
a few things in our long-
term Mazda3 that set it
apart from its main rivals, like
the Honda Civic and Toyota
Corolla. For starters, the
optional head-up display
(Active Driving Display in
Mazdaspeak) is well executed,
and Mazda gets bonus points
for including its brightness and
screen height in the program-
ming of the Driving Position
Memory buttons (another rare
feature in the segment).
The display is fairly sharp and
includes a comprehensive list
of info, including vehicle speed,
active cruise control settings,
cross-traffic alerts, and lane
keep assist warnings. I’m also a
fan of the blind-spot indica-
tors, which flash on the left or
right side of the screen. One
downside? Head-up displays
are notorious for “disappearing”
when you're wearing polarized
sunglasses, and unfortunately
the Mazda’s screen does
appear dimmer through the
lenses of my Ray-Bans.
The Mazda3’s Bose sound
system is another standout in
the compact hatch. It puts the
2020 Kia Soul EX Vehicle Layout Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass,
4-door hatchback Engine 2.0L/147-hp/132-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve
I-4 Transmission Cont variable auto Curb Weight 2,981 lb
Wheelbase 102.4 in 0 -6 0 MPH 8.6 sec Quarter Mile 16.7 sec
@ 83.8 mph Braking, 60 - 0 MPH 116 ft Lateral Acceleration 0.85 g
(avg) MT Figure Eight 27.4 sec @ 0.61 g (avg) Energy Cons, City/
Hwy 125/102 kW-hr/100 miles CO 2 Emissions, Comb 0.66 lb/mile
UPDATE
GENESIS G 70
TOYOTA
RAV 4
One of my gripes with my
Honda HR-V long-termer
was its lack of power; it had a
similar 141 ponies. To make
matters worse, the Soul uses a
CVT, a transmission that isn’t
known for performance.
Another potential issue I
noticed right away was the
lack of cargo space with the
second row up. As a photog-
rapher I tend to carry lots of
gear and sometimes people
for assignments. The shortage
of room in the cargo area
could be a limiting factor
for my needs, so I predict
swapping into a larger vehicle
for photo shoots. (Real owners
would have to weigh their own
cargo needs, of course.)
It’s not all grim, though.
The Soul was a finalist in our
2020 Car of the Year competi-
tion. It was in the top three, as
a matter of fact, right up there
with a C8 Corvette (winner)
and the Tesla Model 3. I have
a feeling I shouldn’t have too
much to worry about.
ARRIVAL
KIA SOUL
It's not easy to make a subcompact hatch look stylish,
but Kia has continually succeeded with the Soul.